🔗 Share this article

Spanning Renaissance masters and pop artists, modern visionaries and even a major Mexican film-maker, galleries as well as galleries throughout the US have some dazzling shows on the horizon in 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed several years ago during 2023, and currently merely a mostly empty page on a major museum's website, this major retrospective of one of the pioneering figures of the Pop Art era comes with some pretty heavy expectations. The institution will be drawing on its long-held collection of nearly 500 works from Lichtenstein, as well as, presumably, dozens borrowed works from collections around the world. TBD 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

Bay Area partner museums, the Legion of Honor and deYoung, will focus on the Floating City through two interconnected shows: one location will offer a celebration of the city as an engine of high art for hundreds of years, and the latter zooms in on what impressionist Claude Monet thought of the enchanting city of canals. The artist was daunted by the prospect of depicting Venice – a theme that had inspired the most revered artists for centuries – yet he ultimately met the challenge, producing approximately 37 canvases, among them the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and 21 March-26 July.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking first feature, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits more than a million feet of footage that was left out into the final cut, creating an art installation that doubles as a homage to celluloid. Reportedly the director dug deep into the archives to create what he called “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of one of his most beloved films. Perhaps the installation will instil a sense of optimism that pervades Iñárritu’s film despite the pain he simultaneously documents. 22 February-26 July.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

The Guggenheim will give the multidisciplinary sculpture and installation creator a comprehensive retrospective, beginning with her initial pieces and progressing all the way up to a fresh collection of works made from scrap metal and steel tubing. Drawing from “the 60s” and Minimalist art, Bove often sources her components directly from the urban landscape, producing intriguing and unusual constructions that have appeared in some of the country’s most notable venues. Having had significant exhibitions in Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, her thirty years of creation are ready for a thorough survey. Early Spring to Summer.

Henri Matisse's *Jazz*: A Symphony of Cut Paper

Anyone who know a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – it’s in fact one of 20 cut-paper works that he paired with text and bound into a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, Chicago’s Art Institute exhibits the complete set of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – the first such showing since the museum obtained the works in 1948 – plus around 50 additional pieces by the artist. These creations were part of a late stage flowering for Matisse. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Master of the Renaissance

Italian master artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated titans of the Italian Renaissance – yet he has rarely been honored with a large-scale exhibition on US soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum seeks to change that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is well-known for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With loans from throughout Europe and more than 200 works in all, this promises to be a major event. Late March through June.

Shu Lea Cheang's *Lover Love*: An Interactive Vision

NYC’s queer art museum presents a major, large-scale film-based work by transmedia artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in digital art. In keeping with much of her work, Cheang here explores the daily struggles of trans life. Lover Love promises to be a very engaging experience, with audience members encouraged to play around with the four moveable screens that display the central film. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston will feature recent creations from this artist, who was compelled to leave her native Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is recognized for transforming unconventional materials to make intricate, LGBTQ+-themed sculptures. This exhibition highlights recent pieces based on the theme of queer weddings. This continues her ongoing project of employing found items as a meaningful gesture of resistance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Building on the foundational research of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how men and women are socialized to inhabit space differently, this exhibition examines how non-verbal communication influences unconscious interaction. Wex’s research spanned art as old as ancient sculptures. Here, Wex’s findings are both exhibited and put into conversation with the work of contemporary Black, queer, and feminist artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

In February, a Pacific Northwest institution celebrates the haunting shadow-based work of an emerging artist. Beginning 5 March, a prominent gallery is highlighting the work of up and coming Black artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. During the summer, an Arkansas museum reexamines 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring with a show of his three-dimensional works. Come fall, the Detroit Institute of Arts will show a selection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architecture paintings. Simultaneously, the Phoenix Art Museum exhibits the colorful work of artist Kim Chong Hak.